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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Living the dream today: the Playable Heritage conference at National Museums Scotland, on how to collect and preserve videogame culture. Here's James Newman, whose 'Best Before: Videogames, Supersession and Obsolescence' (2012) first introduced me to this world almostarchaeology.com/post/8158827...

James Newman speaking at the Playable Heritage conference, National Museums Scotland, 16 Sept 2026

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

"Rockin' with enough power to blow this country back to the Heavy Metal Age" Magazine ad for Aerosmith's 1982 Rock in a Hard Place, with its Stonehenge-inspired cover art www.reddit.com/r/Aerosmith/... #StonehengeAnything

1982 magazine ad for Aerosmith's Rock in a Hard Place with Stonehenge inspired cover art, with tag line "The Ultimate Rock Formation"

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Dunno, just looks like the guy from Horrible Histories

Matthew Baynton playing a Roman in Horrible Histories S05e07

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Commemorative plaque/handy tree growth indicator

Patinated commemorative plaque reading "AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL To commemorate 25 years working for human rights..." with the remainder of the inscription obscured by the roots of the tree it commemorates, Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Wasn't expecting this: Pope Leo, Amost Archaeologist www.vatican.va/content/leo-...

Snippet from APOSTOLIC LETTER OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE LEO XIV ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ARCHAEOLOGY, reading "Archaeology as a school of Incarnation

Today we are invited to ask ourselves how fruitful can the role of Christian archaeology still be for society and the Church in an age marked by artificial intelligence and by the exploration of the innumerable galaxies of the universe."

Snippet from APOSTOLIC LETTER OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE LEO XIV ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ARCHAEOLOGY, reading "By concentrating on the physical traces of faith, archeology educates us in a theology of the senses: a theology that knows how to see, touch, smell and listen. Christian archeology is a school of the senses. By examining stones, ruins and other artifacts, it teaches us that nothing touched by faith is insignificant. Even a fragment of a mosaic, a forgotten inscription, or graffiti on a catacomb wall can recount the story of faith. In this sense, archaeology is also a school of humility. It teaches us not to despise what is small or seemingly secondary. It teaches us to read the signs, to interpret the silence and the enigma of reality, and to decipher what is no longer written."

Snippet from APOSTOLIC LETTER OF THE HOLY FATHER POPE LEO XIV ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ARCHAEOLOGY, reading "Archaeology, on the other hand, teaches us that even the smallest piece of evidence deserves attention, that every detail has value and that nothing can be discarded. In this sense, archaeology is a school of cultural sustainability and spiritual ecology. It teaches us to respect matter, memory and history. Archaeologists do not throw things away, they preserve them. They do not consume, but contemplate. They do not destroy, but decipher."

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

Nuclear Pictish heritage! A glass paperweight commemorating the closure of the Dounreay, Caithness Prototype Fast Reactor in 1994, with early medieval Pictish symbols. National Museums Scotland X.2024.249.1 www.nms.ac.uk/search-our-c...

Caithness glass paperweight, reading Cathenesia ad Mundum, part of a group of Dounreay Fast Reactor commemorative branded objects collected in 2023, commissioned in 1995 and inscribed with ‘UKAEA Dounreay 1955 – 1995 to commemorate 40 years of Dounreay operations’, made by Caithness Glass, Wick, Caithness, 1995. National Museums Scotland X.2024.249.1

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Give us your best #archaeofragrance Eg: The Celts by Wales Perfumery: 'An olfactory journey through the ancient Celtic world, celebrating the tribes who shaped the identity of Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall, and Brittany' walesperfumery.com/product-cate... Hat tip @justrena.bsky.social

Eau de Parfum – Votadini by Wales Perfumery

Description of Eau de Parfum – Votadini by Wales Perfumery: "Earthy, seductive, and untamed. Evoking the history between Rome and Scotland"

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Stumbled on this incredible bit of colonial archaeology wandering through Melbourne. It's a piece of European bottle glass flaked into a scraper by Kulin Nation First Peoples, excavated from the 1855-70 settlement at Wesley Place, now displayed at 130 Lonsdale www.wesleyplace.com.au/content/news...

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Magnetic memories: Callum Preston's Video Land, a recreated VHS rental store as art installation at Melbourne's Immigration Museum

Entrance label to art installation Callum Preston's Video Land at Melbourne Museum

80s and 90s comedy VHS tapes as displayed in art installation Callum Preston's Video Land at Melbourne Museum

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

Just discovered there's an online preservation initiative called Flashpoint which is rescuing tons of old Macromedia/Adobe Flash games and animations from the inexorable Digital Dark Age to come. Including Weebls Stuff and much more: flashpointarchive.org #archaeogaming #InternetArchaeology

Screenshot of Flash animation "Badgers" by Weebl's Stuff (Jonathan "Jonti" Picking), 2003, via https://flashpointarchive.org/

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

Anong the many gems from inside the OXO Madrid of videogame ephemera that has miraculously escaped the landfill were lots of early Nintendo consoles and peripherals, many new to me, and some incredibly emotional reminders of misspent youth

Original packaging and manual for the Nintendo Color TV Game "Blockbreaker" console, 1979, as displayed in OXO Museo del Videojuego, Madrid

Nintendo prehistory: the Napoleon board game, 1975, as displayed in OXO Museo del Videojuego, Madrid

Nintendo sunglasses, 1989, as displayed in OXO Museo del Videojuego, Madrid

Mario Paint cartridge, mouse and mouse pad for the Super Nintendo, 1992, as displayed in OXO Museo del Videojuego, Madrid

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

A rare, muted Covid-19 pandemic memorial in Pollok Park, Glasgow by Alec Finlay #archaeoronavirus

Part of "I remember" public Covid-19 memorial in Pollok Park, Glasgow on the form of anthropomorphic tree support posts inscribed "I remember"

Wide view of "I remember" public Covid-19 memorial in Pollok Park, Glasgow showing three anthropomorphic tree support posts inscribed "I remember" around a group of young trees

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Digging Through Space: Archaeology in the Star Wars Franchise, by Karissa Annis (2021) Brilliant read, mainly but not solely on Doctor Aphra. Now needs a sequel after all the new insights Andor provides into the galactic antiquities market on Coruscant! www.academia.edu/68637610/Dig...

Frame of a Doctor Aphra comic, in which Chelli Aphra says, "Hey Kho. Welcome to the Archaeology Department".

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Raiders of the Lost Arcade? Sign me up

Tweet by Dave Blass reading, "Raiders of the Lost Ark was made in 1981 and took place in 1936. If they did a remake next year with the same time gap it would take place in 1981. Yea, you're THAT old", accompanied by image of Indiana Jones in mid-loot

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 20/04/2025

One for @urbanprehistorian.bsky.social - after a millionth visit to Cairnpapple, drove past the most incredible modern stone circle at Knock Farm - Google street view only as I couldn't stop for a photo www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?...

Google Street View and satellite image of Knock Farm modern stone circle near Cairnpapple Hill, Linlithgow

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Spacecraft do not die; they continue to act as humanity's sentinels The last message of the Blue Ghost lander from the moon, via NYT:

Last message of the Blue Ghost moon lander, reading:

Mission mode change detected, now in Monument Mode

Goodnight friends. After exchanging our final bits of data,

I will hold vigil on this spot in Mare Crisium to watch humanity's continued journey to the stars.

Here, I will outlast your mightiest rivers, your tallest mountains, and perhaps even your species as we know it.

But it is remarkable that a species might be outlasted by its own ingenuity.

Here lies Blue Ghost, a testament to the team who, with the loving support of their families and friends, built and operated this machine and its payloads,

to push the capabilities and knowledge of humanity one small step further.

Per aspera ad astra!

Love, Blue Ghost

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

Whisky archaeology, part 2: a Highland Park 56 year-old special edition inspired by the Neolithic Stones of Stenness, Orkney - bargain at only £40,000 www.highlandparkwhisky.com/en/products/...

Presentation box of the Highland Park 56, inspired by the Neolithic Stones of Stenness, Orkney

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

You have got to go the new OXO Videogame Museum in Madrid. All the classics are playable, right down to Tennis for Two from 1958, plus a lot of cultural detritus you've never heard of, too. I've been to several of these now and I seriously learned a ton here. Longer post about it soon!

Entrance to the OXO Museo Videojuego Madrid

90s desktop PC with period-specific accessories playing Doom, at OXO Museo Videojuego Madrid

Playable version of Tennis for Two (1958) on an oscilloscope screen, OXO Museo Videojuego Madrid

Nintendo sunglasses (1989), at OXO Museo Videojuego Madrid

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Scotland forecast to have leathery purple wings of wind, like a fell beast of the Nazgûl, ironically perhaps for a storm named Éowyn

Map of high winds around the UK and Ireland for Storm Éowyn

BBC News forecast reporting warning for "Storm Éowyn, severe gaies Friday"

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

Well, this oughta confuse future archaeologists - stumbled on a barrow pit-grave (of a different kind) in our local park

Wheelbarrow deposited upside-down in a sub-rectangular pit with an incomplete covering of branches. Seen in the woods of Cathkin Braes mountain bike trail, Glasgow

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

Finally saw Gladiator II, and spotted another penannular brooch on the big screen - gonna have to update my recent blog post on these! 2024 truly was the penannular brooch singularity almostarchaeology.com/post/7673403...

Pedro Pascal as Roman general Acacius in Gladiator II, in the opening siege of Numidia, wearing a penannular brooch

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Almost Archaeology @almostarch.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Proof of life!! New blog post on Tolkien's prehistoric inspirations coming soon

Screenshot of Tolkien: The True Story of the Rings (Arte TV, 2024) showing Adrián Maldonado, with caption "Auteur du blog Almost Archaeology"

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